Widow's Web
by marchioness10
Summary: Steph left Trenton two years ago to make something of her life. She returns to visit, only to be chased by people from her new life that want her, and her new friend Cam dead. Steph has to unravel the Widow's Web before her old life gets destroyed forever
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Cam and James

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except Cam and James. The rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

"Are you positive you want to go back there now?" Cam asked.

"I'll admit the timing is off but I need to see everyone again before the next case." I tried to act nonchalant but Cam could see the nerves rattling around inside me. I didn't know if the next case was going to permit me to stay alive. Cam searched my eyes for a minute then helped me finish packing.

When I left Trenton two years ago she was the first friend I made, and the only friend I kept. I had caught Joe on the kitchen table with Terry Gilman and decided enough was enough. I was tired of my life being an ongoing nightmare to me, and joke to everyone else. So I called James Feld, a friend of the family, and made arrangements to go stay and train with him in Barcelona. James or Maestro as he is called in the field, immediately put me into training with another girl who needed to turn her life around, Cam. We became sisters and partners in the field. Right now we were in my apartment and she was attempting to make me wait a couple of days before I went back.

"But he's getting married to the blonde bimbo tomorrow, Steph. I don't want you to see him with her again and be torn up over it."

"Cam, I was over that pendejo months ago, sabes eso."

James had put us through strenuous physical obstacles while also showing us the merits of obtaining other skills too. We learned Spanish, Russian, and Arabic, how to pick locks, hacking basic and intermediate computer systems, and Taekwondo. Basically James made us kickass women.

"Listen, our plane leaves in an hour. Are you coming or not?" Hmm…judging by the look on her face she didn't see that one coming. James had already okayed her coming along and got her passport updated.

"Fine," she mumbled almost incoherently, "but only to keep you out of trouble."

We stopped by her apartment and loaded all of her bags into the back of my Durango and headed to the airport. We each got 4-6 hours of sleep each while the other person was aware of the surroundings and we finished reading the book on lock picking Maestro got us. By the time we got to Newark Airport we weren't very alert. In retrospect I suppose that's why we didn't see the man. We got our bags from the baggage claim and went to find the car I requested while I called Maestro to check in.

As I was speaking the all clear code, my eyes caught on a man staring straight at us. He was about 6'2, had light blonde hair and had muscles on muscles. He also had a glock in a shoulder holster that he wanted me to see. He started towards us.

"Shit, Cam, there's water in the basement and the pilot light is out."

Maestro swore and disconnected as Cam and I split up and ran. The man however didn't follow and we both made it to the safe house. This meant something very bad was about to happen.

This meant that Widow knew we killed Abdul and we were on the top of her hit list. Cam and I aren't just kickass women, we are contract killers.

The safe house was in Newark and looked jut like all the other houses around it. The only difference was the 24-hour protection and two guards by all doors. Cam and I made dinner and sat down to discuss the next course of action. Eventually it was decided that I needed to call Ranger.

Jeez, can't wait. I'm sure he's going to be delighted to know where I've been and what I've been up to.

This definitely puts a crimp in the vacation plans.

This story may go Babe, I don't know yet. It most definitely won't be cupcake though. The line about water in the basement and the pilot light being out is from Ocean's Twelve. Let me know what you think and criticism is accepted.

Thanks for reading,

Marchioness10


	2. Assassin 1

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James; the other characters belong to Janet Evanovich

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James; the other characters belong to Janet Evanovich.

Chapter Two

Aw crap was my first thought waking up this morning. I never was a morning person, and some things never change. I needed to get up and run though, and I was expecting a call from Maestro any time now. I quietly slipped out of my four poster mahogany bed and padded to the bathroom to try to tame the wild curls into a bun. That finished, I slipped into some yoga pants and a sports bra and headed to the gym.

Strange as it is I had actually come to like the gym during training. I still didn't want to get out of bed for it though. Now pineapple upside down cake I would get out of bed for….focus, Steph. I jumped on the treadmill and began to warm up while watching Cam drag herself into the gym.

My cell phone started buzzing at the beginning of my third mile. Maestro sounded about as awake as I did as he greeted me.

"Jesus Steph, you guys really did it this time." Maestro always says that, in hopes that we might get discouraged enough to do safer jobs.

"What's the deal Maestro? Cam and I are a little nervous about roaming Trenton without a clue of what's going on."

"Here's your clue: The Widow has deemed you two more important than the guy that killed her father. She's got all the best assassins lined up to bring you two down. The bounty is two million."

"Our location got leaked how?"

"I'm still working on that, Steph. In the mean time what are you two going to do about the family thing?"

"Well, we decided to call a security company and get bodyguards for the trip."

"Oh, so you called Ranger then? I figured you wouldn't wait long to see him."

"I didn't say that, and no I haven't called him yet. Anyway I gotta go; Cam and I have to spar before I call Ranger. We'll talk to you later Maestro."

"Affirmative." Yeah, Maestro had phone manners like Batman.

"Widow has a hit out on us," I told Cam, "two million this time."

She snorted and almost fell off her treadmill laughing. "Does she think that by upping the ante, we'll be dead sooner?"

"Cam she's got assassins this time."

She eloquently spoke her next thoughts with one very ladylike word, which I won't care to repeat. She got off the treadmill and we walked over to the mat for a little sparring practice to help with coordination and reflexes.

"So when are you calling Ranger?" Jab, cross, bob, sweep.

"After this actually, I wanted to be awake when I did it. I don't expect him to be very enthusiastic with me." Elbow, arm bar, hip thrust, sweep.

Cam submitted when I landed top mount and we went off to shower and dress. I was dreading this phone call to Ranger because of the way I left.

Flashback: _**I had just finished packing up the last of my things when he walked through the door. He had been "in the wind" for two months and I thought he never looked better. His hair was short, his muscles lean and his eyes were the same smoldering chocolate they had always been. **_ _**He looked around at the empty drawers and the suitcases open on my bed. **_

"_**Babe?" Wow, two months and the only thing he says is 'Babe'? **_

"_**I'm going away for a bit, to help myself. I have to learn more if I want to do this job, Ranger."**_

"_**Let me train you. The guys back at Rangeman would love to help too, Babe, don't leave. I just got back."**_

"_**I can't Ranger. I can't stay here now. I'll be back soon." End Flashback.**_

I picked up the phone and ht speed dial 1 just like old times and listened nervously as it rang. He picked up on the fourth ring.

"Manoso."

"Hey Ranger, it's Stephanie." I spoke confidently hoping he remembered me.

"Babe?" Oh Thank God!

"Yeah, I'm back in town and I need to talk to you and the guys ASAP." The guys being Bobby, Lester and Tank.

"What's wrong? Are you in danger?" Understatement of the year.

"Um yes, but I can't talk about it over the phone. Can my partner and I meet you and the guys at Rangeman?"

"Sure Babe. Do I need to come pick you up?"

"No it's ok; we'll find our way there. I'll talk to you later Ranger."

Click. See? What did I tell you? I knew he was going to do that.

Cam and I loaded up in the hummer with what we believed to be the bare necessities for the day. We each had a gun at the small of our back, a knife at the ankle, a gun in the console, rifles in the backseat, and one standard issue rocket launcher if things got ugly. We made it to the highway without incident, but as we passed exit 745 Cam picked up a tail.

Assassin number one had stepped up to the plate.


	3. Assassin 2

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest belong to Janet Evanovich

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

Thanks for all the great reviews guys! I'm really glad the story is turning out okay. It looks like it's going to be a Babe story, but you never know. You'll find out more in this chapter. Happy reading!

Assassin #2

"Jesus Christ, we don't even get to enjoy the scenery!" Cam spouted off angrily.

"Just hand me the 9 mm in the console and get in the back with your rifle." I said this acting agitated even though I know full well that Cam gets a kick out of this kind of thing.

"Keep your hair on I'm going. Alright, we've got two men with machine guns it looks like. Jeez, machine guns? Aren't we at least worth a rocket launcher? I'm insulted."

I had to laugh at that. Cam always had a way of lightening situations up even when they were fubar. I pulled into the far left lane and started to weave in and out of traffic while Cam set her sniper rifle up. When she was in position, I stopped weaving and waited. Ten minutes later I heard three shots; one for the passenger, one for the driver, and one for the gas tank. The explosion was magnificent. Cam dropped her stuff back in her case and climbed back in the front seat just as we pulled up to the Rangeman gate.

"Boy that was fun! I'm telling you we need to do that more often." Sometimes she reminded me of Lula.

"It may become a regular thing Cam; we don't know how many people Widow is sending after us."

We pulled up to the gate and I called Ranger to buzz us through. The gate opened and I gently pulled in and parked next to the Turbo. I looked over at Cam to see her practically bouncing in excitement. I had told her all about Rangeman and the guys during the slayer part of my story. I however couldn't get my body to obey my command to move. I was actually scared about going inside. Coming here didn't seem like such a good idea now. I started to turn the car back on and pull out when I looked up and yelped in surprise.

Holy crap was my initial thought as I looked out over the sea of Merry Men. I dropped my hand away from the keys and Cam and I got out.

"Bombshell!" Wow, I guess the guys still remember me.

"Hey guys, this is Cam. Cam, these are the guys."

In Cam's defense she didn't drool too noticeably. I'm pretty sure she stopped breathing though. Bobby and Tank got to us first, and Bobby looked like he was tearing up. I got passed around to all the guys for hugs until I made it back to Lester. Instead of hugging me though, Lester bent down and kissed me gently on the lips while rubbing small circles on my lower back. We broke apart as silence began to spread over the crowd. The one person I had dreaded seeing made his way forward through the troops he commanded.

He stopped in front of me and took my new toned body in. He met my eyes and spoke one word that could bring tears to my eyes.

"Babe."

I cracked a grin and followed him upstairs to the conference room. Bobby, Lester, and Tank were harassing Cam and I knew it was only a matter of time until Thump

"Holy shit I think you broke my hand!" Apparently Bobby tried to touch her.

"Well your hand shouldn't be anywhere near me, and it's not broken."

"Damn Bombshell, where'd you get this girl? Massad?"

I just laughed and took my seat next to Cam in the conference room. Once everyone was seated we began our story. We started with training and meeting each other, and then progressed to the problem.

"This past February we hit the son of a mob boss in Portugal." I started wearily. "Apparently his sister, Widow, didn't take too kindly to the hit. She now runs Portugal's mafia and has the money and resources to ensure our not so safe return to Ba- where we live." Oops that was close. Cam jumped in with the next part.

"The good news is that Widow likes to play with victims before having them killed, so the assassins have to immobilize us until she arrives to 'play'."

I picked back up here. "The problem is that we came here for a reason and we need to be able to get around town with out having to kill assassins as publicly as this morning."

"Pay up Santos, I told you it was her." Jeez I guess Tank doesn't have a lot of faith in me.

Ranger finally decided to speak after listening to all we had said.

"Rangeman will provide body guards for the two of you."

Step one was complete; step two was getting him to allow us to pay for the services.

"Great now we need to work out pricing. For both of us for the next four days we are willing to offer 120,000." Please don't fight me on this Ranger, I thought warily.

"Babe, what I give you doesn't have a price, I've told you that."

"Accept the money Ranger or we will go find another security agency." I really didn't want to though. Cam and I had decided to force the payment issue because of my history with Ranger. He needed to know that I finally grew up and didn't need to be dependent on anyone, including him.

Ranger looked like he had been slapped. Bobby, Lester, and Tank were gaping like fish at me. Ranger spent a good minute and a half searching my eyes and ESPing my thoughts. He relented in the end, and we signed the contract James had sent over.

"Ella's really glad you're back, Babe. She's prepared a feast in the control room."

As we were exiting the conference room, Ranger's phone rang. Cal informed Ranger that there was an irregularity in the alarm system. Someone was hacking into Rangeman. Ranger swore as cal informed hi that security had been breached and two armed women were heading toward conference room A; our conference room.

Cam and I looked at each other, then at the ceiling, then at Tank and Lester.

"Need a lift, boys," we said simultaneously.

They lifted us to the ceiling and we pushed the tiles away and climbed up into the AC shaft. We replaced the tiles and made our way to the end of the AC shaft soundlessly. There was commotion in the conference room we had just vacated, as the intruders took all weapons and were screaming at the guys to divulge our location. Cam and I pulled our 9 mm's out from off our ankles and removed a ceiling tile above the control room. Cal handed us Kevlar vests and earpieces before we made our way back to the conference room.

WE reached the door to the conference room, just as a shot was fired.

Assassin number two had found us.


	4. Assassin 3

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest of the characters belong to Janet Evanovich

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest of the characters belong to Janet Evanovich.

To be Babe or not to be Babe? You'll find out in this chapter. Character death ensues.

Assassin #3

Last Chapter: We reached the door to the conference room, just as a shot was fired.

Assassin number two had found us.

Cam and I froze midstride as the sound of a body hitting the floor was heard. Cal informed us through the ear pieces that Intruder A was stationed right in front of the door while Intruder B was walking toward Ranger. Cal also informed us that Lester wasn't moving. Cam turned and emptied her clip into the door and we heard Intruder A fall. We pushed into the room just in time to see Intruder B flash us a wicked smile, then turn and shoot Ranger right in the chest.

I don't really remember much after putting 17 bullets into the woman who dared to hurt Ranger. I dimly noticed Lester lying on the other side of the room and Tank radioing for help ASAP. I fell beside Ranger and looked or any sign of life. He wasn't moving at all. He was just so still in all the commotion of the room that it was unnatural. I didn't realize that I was mumbling prayers under my breath until Cam told me to pull myself together and walked me out of the room so the amt's could get to Ranger. We walked to the control room to talk to Cal while waiting on the team.

"Thanks for helping, Cal." I whispered wearily.

"No problem Bombshell. Aren't you going to head to the hospital?" He looked kind of flabbergasted that I hadn't blown out of here yet.

"Gotta wait for the armed escort."

If there was one thing I learned in training it was to wait for backup in situations like these. Cam and I had lost a team member in an OP for not waiting for backup. It was a lesson learned the hard way.

While we were waiting, a call came through on mine and Cam's public line. Cam and I each had private lines and we had a joint public line for the pissed off mob bosses to call. Speak of the Widow, look who's calling.

"Hello Dragon, Rain. How are you this lovely day?" Did I mention that Widow is more sarcastic than Cam? Occasionally they get into a pissing contest of whose retorts are better. I rally hope Cam doesn't piss her off today. In reference to the codenames, if I told you I'd have to kill you. Cam is Dragon though, and I am Rain.

"Hey Widow, how's the husband?

Those were fighting words with Widow. She hated when people commented on her problems with keeping husbands alive.

"I'm wounded Dragon, really. Your death will be much more satisfying than before. I've been thinking about what to do with you two when I arrive. I warn you though; whatever I come up with won't be too much fun for you two."

I jumped in with a calm, collected voice. "The two idiotic teams you sent over have been taken care of. We're willing to compromise and save you your last assassins."

"No ladies, I'm afraid it won't be that simple. You see there are seven and I am saving the best for last."

"Seven? Seven what? Days of the week? Amount of cigarettes you smoke in an hour? Men you go through in a day?" There goes Cam, sarcastic as ever. You remember me talking about those pissing contests? Cam really will like Lula.

"Dragon your insufferable sarcasm will kill you. There are seven teams left. Good luck." Click.

Honestly was I the only one to learn phone etiquette?

The team consisting of Bobby, Tank, Hal, and Woody surrounded us in the Rangeman SUV as we headed toward the hospital. Cam and I were talking quietly about our conversation with Widow. The boys wouldn't have known what we were talking about anyway as we were speaking in code, in Russian. WE made it to the hospital without incident and Woody broke off to go check on Lester while the rest of us went to Ranger's room.

Ranger was hooked up to a lot of freaky looking machinery but his eyes were open. Evidently Ranger had a gut feeling that he would need his kevlar vest today and the shot had only cracked a rib. I was standing in the doorway of the room with two small tears racing down my face. He was alive. I felt like I could finally breathe again. That was until Woody returned to the room looking like his puppy had died. Oh shit, not Lester.

"I'm sorry Steph, he didn't make it." Woody apparently has ESP too. I felt like the air I just breathed had been knocked out of me. I sank into the chair beside Ranger's bed dumbfounded. He was messing with Cam just an hour ago. How could he be dead?

I looked up and saw Ranger motioning me over to him. I rose and walked to the side of his bed. I couldn't look him in the eye though. He tried to get me to look at him, but I just couldn't face him after getting one of his men killed. He pulled me into his hospital bed with him, which had to have hurt his rib, and held me as I cried. Even kickass contract killers cry when their brother dies.

I was on the verge of sleep when Hal ran in from the hallway holding a black envelope.

"Um Steph, we have a problem."

"What? Jesus, where's Cam?" Ok I am freaking out a little now.

"She went out to the car with Bobby and they took her and left Bobby unconscious, by the SUV."

"Where's the note?" Having worked with The Widow's assassins I knew they left a note.

"Maybe you shouldn't read it right now Steph, what with the Lester problem." I considered breaking his nose right then.

"Maybe you should hand it over before I have to pry it from your cold, dead fingers." Ranger tightened his hold on me and started whispering gentle Spanish phrases to calm me down. Hal handed me the black envelope and I opened it to find a little slip of black paper with silver, spidery writing.

It won't be long before the Dragon is

slayed and The Rain has fallen.

Assassin number three is turning out to be a real pain in the ass.


	5. Assassin 4

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

Thanks for all the great reviews guys! I don't really know how to end this story yet. If you have any ideas let me know. I know I killed Lester and I'm sorry but it was Lester or Ranger. The chapter after this one will be more Ranger/Steph centric more than the whole chapter being centered around the assassins. This chapter deals with Assassin 3. Happy reading!

Assassin 4

As soon as I finished reading the note I immediately called James. To say that he was upset was and understatement.

"Explain to me again how they only got Cam? You two are supposed to be a team. You were supposed to watch each others backs!"

"Yo se, Maestro, I know. I didn't notice her leaving with Bobby."

"And now we have to deal with the fallout. I'll be at the safe house at 1800 tomorrow."

"Affirmative. Bye Maestro." He sighed. "Goodbye Rain. Keep your chin up."

Ranger looked worried after hearing the conversation between Maestro and I. I just let out a long breath and snuggled back down into him. An hour later I called a troop meeting for those left standing.

"Alright guys priority one is taking out Team 3. Priority two is Cam. Once we get Cam back we will probably leave Trenton. I can't risk anymore of your lives." Ranger shot me a look that said we would be discussing that last statement later.

"We need to draw Team 3 out into the open, so I'm going to finish what I came here to do and hope they know the itinerary. First stop, my parents house. We'll need all entrances covered, but I want guards stationed on the inside." Ranger didn't object thank god.

"Now, Team 3 is a couple. They tend to split up to make the capture more efficient. The woman will be on a rooftop and attic of a house with a snipe rifle. She won't shoot to kill me but she will hurt me to stop my escape. Her husband is the grab-and-go guy. He loads the target into a silver sedan. The wife then picks up her gear and high tails it out to a black escalade parked in the back of wherever she set up shop. That's the way they always work and it also explains the color choices on the notes."

I had barely finished my sentence when my private line rang. Ranger's phone rang ten seconds later. The head of security at the safe house said that security had been breached and that a note was left on the kitchen table. I told him to read it to me.

The dragon's fire is almost out

The Rain will put it out, no doubt.

Jesus, a freaking poet.

I looked over at Ranger to se what his conversation was about, but he was already looking straight at me.

"Babe, we got a note at Rangeman." He waited a beat then said, "They left it on my bed."

That means they ran a thorough background check.

"What did it say?" If it's another note about the Rain putting the dragon's fire out I think I may punch someone.

The Dragon's eyes are no longer bright

Do you have what it takes to win this fight?

Young Rain, you know the story's end

You know it's one you cannot mend.

When it Rains, it pours is what they say.

But are you strong enough to save the day?

I ran through my list of obscene words but none fit the situation. The rage that had filled me was like any other feeling I had ever felt before. The boys and I loaded up into a new SUV since the old one had been compromised. We started out to my parent's house to draw us out some assassins. On the first drive by I noticed the woman in the attic window of the house across from my parents. We slipped into the alley to see a black escalade parked I the driveway of the house. We had found Assassin Team 3.

We quietly got out of the car and ducked over to the back door. Unsurprisingly, the door was locked so I pulled out my lock pick kit and had the door open thirty seconds later. We drew our guns and Hal pushed through into the living doom with me next then Tank and Woody in the rear. The couple had planned on my knowledge of their work, so they had three armed guards in the living room with the husband. All four were disabled before they could even move. By disabled I meant never able to move again. I sent Tank and Woody to watch the windows while Hal and I made our way upstairs.

Suddenly there was a crash to my right and an intense white hot pain in my upper arm.

Oh My God! The bitch had shot me! I looked around to see that Hal had tackled and disarmed her. He sat her on her feet as I stalked over to her. I leaned in right by her ear and whispered a series of words that would make her sing like a canary.

"Tango in Moonlight. Sing after Rain aborts."

That was the pass phrase to gain entrance to the couple's safe house in Dallas. It was where their two kids, Tim and Sara lived. She froze and fear crept onto her features as she started right into my eyes.

"Where's Cam?" I wasn't in the mood for pleasantries after she shot me.

"First floor bathroom." It seems like they used my idea from the Slayer problem and handcuffed her in the bathroom. She was beat up pretty bad but other wise still kicking.

I sent hr and Tank to the hospital and I went back upstairs to deal with the wife.

**I'm going to get a lot of flames for this next part. **

She was sitting on the floor of the master bedroom looking resigned to her fate. She knew what I had to do. I had Hal step outside and pulled my glock from the small of my back. Ten seconds later she was no longer a threat. Woody, Hal, and I found the first aid kit and cleaned up my arm a bit before we headed over to my parents house.

We knocked on the door but no one answered. I picked the locks like before, but no one was home. I walked around for a few minutes before I saw something strange outside. Written in red spray paint on the lawn out back was a message that rang loud and clear.

Come or they die

Assassin number four was no joke.


	6. Assassin 4 still

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest belong to Janet Evanovich

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James, the rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

Sorry about the wait on this one guys, I had to annotate my summer reading yesterday. Anyway, this chapter has a plot change but it isn't drastic, and as promised it has a Ranger/Steph moment, but….oh just read it.

Assassin 4 (The team that just won't die)

I sank to the ground as I prayed for it to swallow my up. My family that I hadn't seen in two years was in danger because I stupidly stayed even when I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't leave now. Not when that asshole had kidnapped my family.

With a burst of newly acquired inner strength I stalked over to where Woody and Hal were speaking quietly into their cells. They both however, disconnected when I reached hearing distance. I commandeered the keys from Woody and paced to the new Rangeman SUV that had been dropped off for us. As the boys got in the car I reached back into the backseat and dug through my rifle case-which had magically transported from one SUV to another, do doubt Ranger's doing- to find my Miranda Lambert CD. Hal apparently didn't take the ESP class and decided that now would be a good time to drop the hospital bomb.

"Steph, Ranger thinks that you really should go to the hospital. You know, just to make sure you aren't going into shock o anything." I shot him my 'speak again and I break your mouth look' as I turned my song up. This song made me feel like badass numero uno, the most kickass contract killer on this side of the equator.

I'm going home gonna load my shotgun,

Wait by the door and light a cigarette.

He wants a fight well now he's got one.

He ain't seen me crazy yet.

Slapped my face and he shook me like a rag doll.

Don't that sound like a real man?

I'm gonna show him what little girls are made of,

Gunpowder and Lead.

As I pointed the SUV toward the second safe house in Point Pleasant, I came to terms with what I had to do. Cam and I had worked together long enough that I trusted her with my life. I knew that she would at least save my family if she couldn't save me. I just hoped that Ranger would understand.

Maybe I was hoping for a little too much.

"You want to what?" He growled. Yikes! Ese no bueno.

"I'm going to let myself get kidnapped. It's just like what happened with Cam, only planned."

"It's not the same. You can't just barge into a deadly situation like this and hope it all ends well like you always do. This isn't like when you were bounty hunting and being stalked by the little players. This is the big boy game and you have to grow up to survive."

My eyes narrowed and my face became the stoic mask he always portrayed. My voice dropped to a whisper as my verbal Uzi came out.

"You have no right to insinuate that I don't know how to do my job. You can't tell me that I can't protect myself. I had Ranger's training too, Ranger, did you know that? I've been through hostage simulations and I can sure as hell shoot my damn gun now. I'm not asking for permission or even asking for help. I just thought you might want to know."

It looked like my verbal Uzi had penetrated his once bullet proof shields around his heart. He regained his composure not long after the shields came down though.

"Fine, you don't want my help? It's retracted. The contract is now null in void. And so are we."

That was the last time I ever saw him. (Just kidding. Jeez you guys are like die-hard Babe fans aren't you?)

He left in a swirl of testosterone and I checked back in with Maestro for any news on the hit.

"Actually Rain, I was about to call you. Is Dragon there with you?" I called Cam into the room and Maestro began.

"I'm afraid the ante has been upped from two million to five and Widow has cancelled the rest of the assassins. She is giving Team 4 a chance to do it before she comes after you herself. Did you decide on a course of action for the family problem?"

"We're pulling a Crosoft swap. Steph for the rest of the Plums. Then I'm running a roller attack."

"Risky, but it might work. When?"

"Tonight."

"I cancelled my flight but let me know if I need to come pull one or both of you out before it get's too dangerous."

"Later, Maestro."

I sank into the sofa as I mentally revisited the fight I had with Ranger. After ten minutes of Cam staring at me, I filled her in on the details. She looked kind of panicked when she realized that we wouldn't have Rangeman's backup anymore but I told her that I had planned for this and we had three teams coming in form Spain at seven."

As night fell, Cam and I put on our theme song as we so childishly named it and prepped ourselves for the long night ahead. We cleaned all of the guns and loaded them, sharpened all of the knives, and put on our work outfits of long-sleeved, black under armour shirts, black Levi's, and black Nike's. We each had a gun in a shoulder holster, ninja stars at both wrists, a glock at the small of our backs, and a switchblade at the ankle.

We had bobby pins in our hair for picking our way out of cuffs and tight ponytails to keep our hair out of the way. My role in the operation was to play the distraught contract killer desperately clinging to the hope that her parents will have returned home by now. Cam's first and most important assignment was to identify Team 4. We couldn't have correspondence on this mission, which made the waiting so much more difficult.

Cam dropped me off at my parent's house and I let myself in knowing full well that I was being watched. I put on a show of checking each room in the house before settling down on the couch to watch Ghostbusters and wait. Every few minutes I would look out the window as if I was waiting for their car to pull up. The street was eerily empty though. Not even the dogs were barking. I must have fallen asleep at some point because I wok up around 2:30 to the sound of a rifle being cocked right next to my ear.

Assassin Team 4 had fallen for the Crosoft Switch.


	7. Black Magic Crew

Disclaimer: I only own Cam and James

Disclaimer: I only own Cam, Link, and James. The rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

For the record, this will be a Babe story so don't give up hope yet. We're getting close to the end of this story! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Remember that if you have an idea for how the story should end, let me know. Happy Reading!

Chapter 7 Black Magic Crew

I woke up disoriented in the back of a moving car. My head felt like it weighed a ton and the nausea from the chloroform was creeping up. There were four men in the back of the SUV with me and two in front. Paranoid much? The two sitting next to me were a head taller than me and had their guns digging into my sides reminding me not to make any sudden movements.

We sat in silence for the duration of the trip. Half way there, my attention turned from the gun-wielding maniacs next to me, to the massive compound out side the SUV's windows. There were guards stationed at the first gate, the second gate, and at the entrance to each building. I immediately knew that Assassin Team 4 was the Black Magic Crew. They were notorious for having huge compounds all over the world made exclusively of black marble.

We pulled up to a building I assumed was the holding area, judging by the bars on all of the windows. The guy to my right got out of the car and motioned for me to step out also. I decided to see how far these guards were willing to go, and sat there petulantly. The gun-wielding psycho to my left got agitated and put his boot to my left hip and kicked me out.

I entered the building and was instantly accosted and shoved up against a wall. The man that pushed me patted me down and removed my gun from my shoulder holster, the glock from my thigh, and the 9 mm from my back. He missed the switchblade at my ankle and a few other surprises I had hidden away for when this happened.

I was roughly turned around to face the touchy- feely guy from a moment ago, only to find Link. Link is the leader of the Black Magic Crew and used to be one of my favorite guys to hang out with. We can go ahead and declare that friendship dead. He glanced at me while he reached over to a table on his left for the bug wand.

He started at my hair and removed all of the bobby pins and slowly made his way down to my feet. When he reached down to run the wand over my shoes I kneed him very hard in the face. He wasn't overly thrilled with me doing that.

"Bitch." He snarled, and back fisted me across the face. I was none too gently shoved into a holding cell, and left alone.

Alone was fine by me, I had to stick to the plan. I noticed that there were cameras in the back left corner and the front left corner. I found to blind spot and hurried to get suited up before Link came back.

I had purposely kneed Link when he reached my shoes because of the three bugs I had planted thee. I slipped my shoe off and searched for the pouch I had slipped under the padding in it. I attached my microscopic microphone, put my tiny ear piece in, and applied the smallest camera ever made to my shirt. I then slipped my shoe back on and tested connection with Cam. The connection was stable and I sat down in the one metal folding chair in my room to wait.

About three minutes later, Link came storming back in with a band-aid over his nose and a rage in his eyes.

"Rain, how wonderful to see you too. How's the family doing?"

"Long time, no see Link. Stabbed anyone in the back lately?"

"Who licked the red off your candy, Rain? You know this is how this works. There are no friends in the killing game. You should know that since you took care of The Couple yesterday. You were the freaking maid of honor at the wedding. Either way, once we nab Dragon we can kill the family and the Widow can do with you what she wants."

My eyes narrowed fractionally, but he caught the change in my demeanor.

"Oh Rain, did you honestly think that a Crosoft switch would work in this situation? You know what I think? I think that your friend is just leaving you here to die while she get's out of town. We have pictures of her at the airport jumping a plane back to Barcelona. You've been played, Rain. You may as well help us grab Dragon so she can pay for selling you out. You can't deny that feeling of revenge that is creeping up inside of you. Your friend left you here knowing that you were about to die."

"Think about it, Rain. It's not too late to have your revenge."

He smirked then left the room. Cam was patiently waiting for me to let her know that the cost was all clear in the regions that she couldn't see on the camera.

"Alright we go Plan B. Have team one at the north entrance, team two at the holding station, and team three at the main building in exactly two minutes starting now. Comprendes?"

"Got it, good luck Beta 8." I was going to need it.

I took the metal folding chair and placed it under camera one. I pulled my switchblade loose from my ankle and cut the power wire from the camera. I ran over to camera two knowing that my time was limited. I cut the power there and moved the chair back where it was and started to arm myself. I pulled the two handguns out of my pants that the guards had missed.

I had taped them along my pelvic bones and had sewn a pocket onto my underwear for extra ammo. I had the silencers taped under them and I made quick work of attaching them to the guns. I sat on the metal folding chair in the middle of the room with one of my handguns pointed at the door in front of me, and the other at the small of my back.

I heard the footsteps running out side my room and three guards burst into the room and three soft pops were heard soon after. I made my way over the bodies to the door and took out the two cameras that monitored the hallway my room was in.

"Beta 8 in position." That was the cue for the other teams to go. Two more guards ran around the corner to my left and I popped both of them with ease. Cam was shouting commands into my earpiece as I moved slowly toward the exit.

"Team two, move in."

"I managed to make it to the doors easily. As team two opened to doors to pull me through, Link came around the corner. Team two started to usher me outside but bullets from a machine gun move faster than people and I felt four bullets penetrate my right thigh. None of them hit bone though, so I was still able to walk, but just barely. I would be better after they were removed. I was kind of pissed off though. I mean, why was I not informed of shoot Steph day? Team two and I piled into the Hummer and established connection with Cam. Hummer three held Cam and team three. And hummer one held my parents and Team one.

The roller attack was successful. Our entourage pulled out of the compound and onto the connecting road. We had just made it onto the highway when a series of explosions lit up the sky behind us. Assassin Team 4 was eliminated.

We regrouped back at the safe house in Point Pleasant. I sent my distraught parents to bed and Cam and I were sitting down to discuss a course of action when our public line rang.

"Shit." We said simultaneously while staring at the phone. We decided not to answer the first time.

It rang again and Cam and I looked around the house as The Itsy Bitsy Spider song filled our ears.

When the ringing stopped from the second call a rock flew through our window with a note attached to it.

Answer the phone ladies.

The phone rang again, but Cam and I were already through the trap door under the sofa and running through the underground tunnels toward our garage a mile away. We made it to the end of the tunnel before the gunfire started. Cam jumped out of the door and ran to start the car while I locked the door. I jumped in the car and we sped out of the garage onto the highway. I looked in my rearview window to see a spider crawling out of the shadows of the garage. She smirked at us and drew back into the shadows.

W were now in The Widow's web.


	8. The Fallout

Disclaimer: I only own Cam, James and The Widow, the rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I was in a camp all week and school starting up soon had me in a tizzy. Anyway here's the next chapter of Widow's Web. It's kind of a filler chapter though, to help lead up to the big throw down with the Widow in chapter nine. Thanks for bearing with me guys, and happy reading!

Chapter 8 The Fallout

Last Time: The phone rang again, but Cam and I were already through the trap door under the sofa and running through the underground tunnels toward our garage a mile away. We made it to the end of the tunnel before the gunfire started. Cam jumped out of the door and ran to start the car while I locked the door. I jumped in the car and we sped out of the garage onto the highway. I looked in my rearview window just in time, to see a spider crawling out of the shadows of the garage. She smirked at us and drew back into the darkness.

We were now in The Widow's web.

"How the hell did she find us?" Cam asked breathlessly. I took a minute to wrap my head around what was going on. My head was spinning with confusion and pain from my gunshot wounds. Eventually I became coherent again and was able to respond.

"Okay, we have to focus. The game just started for her so we have some time. The problem is we have to move all priority one people into a safe house with us. Small Bridge will suffice, don't you think?"

I tried to keep the tremor in my voice controlled. My nerves were fried though. I was hurting, my family was in an insurmountable amount of trouble, and Ranger and I were on the outs. I really needed a donut or ten. Cam apparently read my thoughts because we pulled up to a late night bakery and ordered a dozen assorted.

"Who first?" Cam's face had become stoic and her voice tight and controlled. She was in battle mode.

"Ranger."

Twenty minutes later we pulled up to the gate at Rangeman and were surprisingly let in. Cam jumped out of the driver's side and eased me out of the passenger side and helped me move toward the elevator.

Shoot Steph Day was a success, I thought bitterly.

Tank and Bobby were in the elevator when it opened up to us. When they saw me Tank's blank face slammed down and Bobby rushed forward to pick me up. I snuggled down into his chest and started to doze. I didn't realize that the elevator had stopped moving until I heard Tank start yelling. Apparently he had pressed the hold button to talk before we reached 5. I guess he didn't like what Cam was telling him.

"You did what? Are you out of your freaking minds? You could have died there, Steph. You can't just go in all gung ho and pray to God that everything works out." Whoa, Déjà vu.

I was too tired for the arm flapping, raised voices, UFC smack down, right now so I settled for a monotone response.

"We set up a Crosoft switch like we've done before in the past; our past which includes training from all parts of the military. We went in like professionals and finished the job like professionals. We had three backup plans for our backup plan, but in the end my family's safety was priority one. You know how it goes, Tank." Tank sighed.

"Yeah, I know how it goes. It just shouldn't go like that with you."

With Tank's understanding we resumed our way upstairs and out onto the control room floor. Bobby walked us over to where Woody, Hal, and Cal were sitting on monitor duty and gently set me on my feet. The pain that I had been pushing to the back of my mind finally surfaced and I barely made it to the trashcan before I lost what little food I had been able to eat earlier. The room started spinning and everything went black.

I awoke some time later to voices outside the door. I took in my surroundings as I attempted to remember what happened. It all came back to me as I registered Bobby's panicked voice talking quietly with Ranger's own worried tone. I took stock of my body as I waited for someone to come in. Bobby had put an IV in my arm and rewrapped my wounds. I didn't have nay pain but my mouth was ridiculously dry. I tried to call out but I could only manage a gurgle kind of sound. Ranger heard me before Bobby did, and was buy my side in a heartbeat.

He handed me the water and started rubbing my head. He looked like crap. His normally determined calculating eyes held a drowsy softness and pain. I couldn't take it anymore.

"You look horrible! When was the last time you slept? Or ate? Go eat something now then come back and take a nap."

"Babe, you're hurt. It can wait for"

"Now, Ranger." This being said in my mother's no nonsense tone, he complied.

Bobby was smirking gently as he checked my vitals.

"Only one woman has been able to control him like that before and that was his momma. Keep that in mind Bomber."

He left soon after and Ranger returned with a platter of meats, cheeses, and a variety of crackers. We ate in silence then snuggled down for a nap. I woke again two hours later, in desperate need of a bathroom break. When I returned, Ranger was sitting up against the headboard looking straight at me.

I drove my little IV cart back over to the bed and crawled over to him. He set me between his legs with my back to his chest and just held me for the longest time. He finally broke the quiet with the conversation I had been dreading to most.

"Why didn't you tell me you needed help?"

"That's because I didn't. We did fine; just hit a minor snag at the end. Ranger, we already had this discussion. I'm trained for my job just like you're trained for your's."

"Did you get your family out?"

"Yeah we have a team trained in evasive driving, transporting them to another safe house. That's why we came here actually."

"To do what?"

"You and your guys need to go offline for a few days, until Cam and I sort this Widow mess out."

"What's happened?"

"The Widow's here."

An hour later, all of the Rangemen were loaded into SUV's with clothes for a week. All computer systems had been backed up and then reformatted, all traces of my being thee had been erased, and Bobby had finally taken the IV out of my arm. Two of the Rangemen that had been out on fieldwork when all this had gone down, picked up Connie and Lula and brought them home to pack . They also grabbed Mary Lou and her family and were bringing them to the safe house as well.

Joe figured that he could take care of himself until he left for the honeymoon.

All the SUV's had a predetermined path and left at different times to make it more difficult to track all of them. Four hours into the trip, Cam and I received a call on our public line. The Rangemen in our vehicle all smirked when they realized that The Itsy Bitsy Spider was playing. Two years later, I'm still entertainment. Cam decided to answer this one.

"Miguel's Mortuary, here to help you make the most out of your mortuary experience. How may we be of assistance today?"

"Dragon, lovely to see that you haven't lost your sense of humor in this dreary time."

"Yes, well I do like to keep the party going."

"Don't we all? And how is Rain?"

Cam looked a little panicked so I took over the conversation here.

"I'm fine, Widow. The doctor's have me on bed rest and pumped full of valium. You know how it goes."

"You really are a horrible liar, Stephanie."

Cam saw my 'oh shit' look and took back over.

"Was there a point to this conversation?"

"Oh yes. I called to express my displeasure at your abrupt departure yesterday. It was rather rude of you tow. I do hope the next visit won't end quite so soon."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up too high."

"Yes well it's hard not to when you're leading me right to you." Click.

"Shit!"

Cam and I both ripped open the backs of our cell phones while Ranger pried open the back of the public line phone. He pulled the GPS off of the phone and crushed it with the butt of his gun on the console. We were lucky though. Only the public line had a GPS in it.

"Call the cavalry boys; we have a change in plans."

"New destination, 2400 High Tower Drive. Charlotte, North Carolina."

Tank turned around in his seat. "What happens next, Steph?"

I stopped to think for a minute then almost hit myself in the head for not realizing it earlier.

"We cut the Widow out of her web."


	9. Separation

I only own Cam, James, and The Widow. The rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

I'm really sorry this one has taken so long to write. I've realized that I need to write stories over breaks not during school. Anyway this one will be finished over Thanksgiving break. Thanks for hanging with me. This one was written quite quickly so if the spelling is atrocious let me know. Please review guys!

**Separation **

As we neared the safe house, Cam and I wrapped up our coded discussion to assign jobs. Ranger and the guys were given the task of herding my distraught family into the guest wing once we arrived. Cam and I were going to need to discuss more security around the house during their stay with the head of security.

Ranger looked like he was going to protest to being cut out of the loop but I silenced his unspoken compliant with a fierce look that shut him up. We had no breathing room on this one and his whining and control issues were not going to help here.

We pulled up to the gate and I got out to push in the code, pause for a retinal scan, and submit a strand of hair for the mandatory DNA test. Only then were we let through. T The guys were trying to make out the house through the think woods that surrounded it. As it came into view though, quite a few of them sucked in air at its grandeur.

The three-wing mansion covered an acre of land itself and had another six surrounding it on all sides. Long white marble columns held up the classic Greek architecture and the golden dragons sparkled from the fountain as the silver rain drops seemed suspended in midair. Even Ranger looked shocked.

We got out quickly and the guys directed my shell-shocked parents to the guest wing as Cam and I inconspicuously made our way into the main wing to conclude our business. We had limited time to finish what we needed to do before Ranger and the guys came looking for us.

In the car, we had discovered a way to finish this mess with the Widow. It was tricky though and Ranger would only get in the way. I couldn't sacrifice him for the danger my new life brought. Oh how the tides have changed.

Cam and I sprinted up the mahogany stained staircase to our office behind the double doors at the top. We impatiently paused once again for a fingerprint and retinal scan as well as a voice match and pass card swipe. There was dangerous information behind these doors.

We entered and before the doors had even closed we were hit with a wave of nostalgia. It felt good to be in our home base again. There was a certain safety that came with being home again.

As the doors closed and locked, we sprung into action. The motions seemed like a well choreographed dance as we efficiently tossed weapons to each other and checked stats on the multiple monitors around the room. We were running out of time here. As Cam finished packing, I sat down to hurriedly begin the calls that held our plan together.

We had picked our targets well and had acquired enough intel that this should be a breeze but I still felt a wave of anxiety. We had decided to contact the Widow's inner circle. This group of 5 women was almost as notorious as we were, and if on our side, could bury the Widow. We were going to contact them and offer them a chance to change sides. If they agreed, more info would be given to them later. But if they refused, we had real names and exact locations and had our three backup teams standing by in the area to deal with those who wouldn't comply.

In the end they all agreed. The plan was now in motion and now the only problem was getting away from the mob of Special Forces men coming up the stairs. I rose gracefully and practically flew to get my bag from Cam. We moved to the plasma on the wall by the titanium laced windows and punched in another code to open the escape door. The bullet proof metal door slid apart rapidly and revealed a narrow tunnel that would lead us straight to the garage.

We climbed in and the doors slid shut and relocked behind us. We scrambled to the garage with our packs and actually made it out of the gate in our jeep before the guys could catch up. They tried to follow of course but the house was on lock-down. No one in or out until I spoke the codes to the security supervisor.

As I raced down the deserted back road, Cam was on the phone with the Widow. I caught a few snippets of the conversation and what I heard made me smirk at. Trust Cam to enjoy this.

"It's really sad how screwed up your brain is. Did your parents drop you on your head as a baby? Oh well I guess it doesn't matter now. You're incompetent and they're dead."

I wondered if the Widow could hear me snickering in the background. I could almost hear the Widow as Dragon aggravated her incessantly. Something changed in Cam though. Her expression darkened and went from amused to anguished and 2 seconds flat. Whatever the Widow said had caught her off guard, and this didn't happen very often.

She listened for a few more seconds then snapped a tense reply and slammed the phone shut.

"Golden Limb Motel 6 a.m." She muttered.

"Don't let her get to you Cam. She's toying with your emotions."

She growled a low sound deep in her throat and looked like she was going to tear me apart as she looked at me.

"You know what Stephanie? I am done with this crap. I can't take all the drama anymore. And I sure as hell can't afford to lose any more family members _because of you_."

I felt like I had been slapped as I pulled over to the side of the road in shock. As soon as I stopped she jumped out of the car and ran into the surrounding wood. I was left staring after her as the pain I had been holding back flooded my senses and I wondered what would make her strike so low.

However, the main thought that broke through the cloud of pain was, what in the hell was going on?


	10. Decode

Disclaimer: I only own Cam, James, and the Widow. The rest belong to Janet Evanovich.

Here it is guys, the final chapter to Widow's Web. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. Since this is my first long story I would appreciate feedback for the story as a whole. Happy reading!

_**Recap**_: "You know what Stephanie? I am done with this crap. I can't take all the drama anymore. And I sure as hell can't afford to lose any more family members _because of you_."

I felt like I had been slapped as I pulled over to the side of the road in shock. As soon as I stopped she jumped out of the car and ran into the surrounding wood. I was left staring after her as the pain I had been holding back flooded my senses and I wondered what would make her strike so low.

However, the main thought that broke through the cloud of pain was, what in the hell was going on?

**Decode **

It took a few minutes but reasoning eventually broke through and I pulled back onto the road. With or without Cam, I had a job to finish. As the trees blurred past, my mind began to shuffle through all of the memories I had suppressed for so long. I was looking for a reason; something that would break Cam today. Why had she left me hanging? Why did she leave me to die?

The answer hit me in the gut and knocked the air out of me. The mention of her family, the abrupt departure, it all made sense. Today was the day her mother died. Today was the anniversary of the day Cam inevitably killed her mother.

There was nothing she could do to help what with all of the damage done by the car accident. However Cam was the one who had to decide to cut off life support. In the end, she felt guilty. In the end I felt guilty because I had pushed her to do that.

Tears of regret and sorrow eased gently out of my eyes and landed silently on my lap. I couldn't blame her for leaving. Not when I had forgotten.

By the time my mind had perused all of the mournful memories of that time, I had reached the motel. I had to get back in the game now. The Widow had placed security around the perimeter and had sound and video feeds in the meeting room. It seemed foolproof but I had already found the loophole. She couldn't close the hotel down for this meeting so I could very easily get a room in the building and methodically take care of security from the comfort of a room. The trick was getting that far.

I pulled into the parking lot at the far right entrance. It was a run down motel with half of a neon sign lit up. Looking around I noticed the groundkeeper and the maintenance guy keeping close tabs on my movement. There was also an elderly lady strolling by in an outfit that screamed undercover. I had found my first three targets.

I subtly lifted up the console lid and pulled out my back up handgun and reached around to the backseat to get my pack. This needed to go smoothly for the rest of the plan to work. As I opened to door I surreptitiously fired two shots. One to the groundkeeper and one to the maintenance guy. As I stood up the faux elderly lady fell. I hurriedly pulled them into the bushes by the highway and strolled confidently toward the main office. Acquiring a room was no problem due to the state of the motel and I was soon settled into room 16.

I entered the room and put my pack on my bed to start unpacking. To make this go efficiently I needed to establish a connection to our home computer system and be able to monitor all communications of the surrounding rooms. I placed my laptop on the small table in the room and began to connect to the home base. While that was going on, I rearmed myself for the trip into the meeting room. As soon as the computer finished, I located the meeting room easily being that it was the one with 17 bugs in it.

I looked out of the peephole in the door and cautiously opened the door to check the hallway. With one foot out of the door, shots began to ring out. Two average size men came barreling down the hallway with guns firing nonstop at me. They lacked precision though and I took them out with ease. I pulled them into my hotel room and continued out to the meeting room.

As I neared the room, a feeling of panic began to sweep through me. Would this go according to plan, or was I walking to my death here? I stopped right in front of the door and fought back the panic as I inserted the stolen room key. I stepped into the dark room and shut the door without surveying the room first. What a mistake that proved to be.

The second after the door shut I was grabbed from behind by what felt like a large man. I threw an elbow to the groin and flipped him over my shoulder just as two more guys attached themselves to my arms. I fought fruitlessly against them as they efficiently put me in a double arm bar before I could do anything. With out my eyesight, I began to notice things with my other senses. My ears picked up a faint, melodic sound. Someone was laughing.

"How foolish of you to attempt to come here early, Rain. What happened to all of your training?" She was positively glowing by this point. Her small frame was draped with long black beads and her hair was an intricate pile of twisted braids.

I glowered at her as she smirked at my pain. The men were very skilled at keeping me out of commission.

"I'm really disappointed," she continued "I thought it would be much more difficult to lure you here. Too bad Cam couldn't make it though. It really is a shame about her mother. And really, what kind of friend were you to not remember?"

I snarled like I didn't already know she had bugs planted in the car. Cam and I had meticulously planned all that was to be said in the car. It actually hurt Cam's feelings that the Widow didn't think us capable of finding bugs. Jeez….the world's going to hell in a hand basket. I smirked on the inside though. The Widow had no idea what was going on.

She seemed a little miffed by the fact that I hadn't broken into tears yet so she continued with her taunting in a brisker manner than before.

"Oh well, we'll deal with her later. We have you now and you'll be enough to lure her here. Until then we need to move you to a safer location. You understand." Yeah I understand. Safer meaning someplace where no one can hear me scream.

They placed a potato sack like the kind you see in the old mob movies, over my head and led me to a car. We drove in silence for what seemed like hours until all of a sudden we stopped. I was pulled none too gently out of the car and thrown onto the dirt road.

This is where most people would be thinking 'Oh shit! He's gonna kill me!' I was thinking more along the lines of 'I really hope there aren't any creepy crawlies getting in my hair right now.' The joy of experience.

I didn't have to worry for long though because I was yanked to my feet and led to what felt like a large building, judging by the change in air pressure. They threw me into a chair and finally the bag was pulled off. Of course the Widow was the picture of cleanliness while I looked like I was in a sandstorm. Bitch.

She didn't leave me long to idle. One of the men who threw me was at my side in an instant tying me down while the others loomed nearby, anxious for what was to come. I really wasn't all that excited. However, a movement in the rafters of the building caught my attention and a new determination swept through me.

Muscleman 1 came right for me with a punch to the nose that knocked the chair over. Blood spurted out of my now completely smashed nose and onto the plastic they had so conveniently placed on the floor. It didn't take long for the second muscleman to throw a kick to the ribs that knocked the air from my lungs and surely fractured ribs . I felt like I was going to throw up I hurt so bad.

The third muscleman came at me with a knife and the Widow sat up, as if she was now interested in the affair. This was what we had been waiting for.

Down from the rafters came 4 wicked fast and deadly accurate shots. The Widow and her three goons fell simultaneously. I waited in pain for my savior to come down from the rafters and untie me.

It wasn't long before Cam came bounding through the door with a huge smile on her face that screamed excitement. It was finally over. I however needed to go to hospital now which sucked. We spoke quietly as she untied me.

"I am so glad you didn't wait until after the guy with the knife was done with me. I'd have had to kill you myself." She smiled back in a 'yeah whatever' kind of way. I laughed softly.

"We make a good team don't we?" I was so tired all of a sudden. The barest motions seemed to seep up all of my energy. I dragged myself to the car and buckled in before feeling the unconsciousness tickle at the edge of my brain. I turned to Cam to tell her what I had been thinking all afternoon.

"Well that was fun, but next time you get to be bait." She snickered softly as I fell asleep.

The Widow was dead.


End file.
